WhatsApp names former Ezetap CEO Abhijit Bose as India head, to join in early 2019

The government has been putting Facebook under a great deal of pressure to set up India operations.

WhatsApp appoints Abhijit Bose as Head of WhatsApp India. He is set to join WhatsApp in early 2019.

Bose is the co-founder and CEO of Ezetap which is an electronic payments company backed by top-tier Venture Capitalists.

Abhijit Bose will build a team in India, which will be based in Gurgaon. This will be the first WhatsApp team to be formed outside of California.

Bose claims that WhatsApp will be a "major partner for financial inclusion and economic growth in India."

The government has been putting Facebook under a great deal of pressure to set up India operations and have someone in India who can be held accountable for WhatsApp's failings in the country. Installing Bose as India Head and setting up a team is the first step in that direction.

Abhijit bose. Image: Global Business Summit webiste

Earlier this year WhatsApp had released the WhatsApp business app for small business owners and the WhatsApp Business API to serve larger businesses and help them engage with customers. Ostensibly, Bose's primary responsibilities will involve the handling of WhatsApp's business dealings.

"It's not only how so many families stay in touch, but increasingly it's how businesses are engaging with their customers. WhatsApp can positively impact the lives of hundreds of millions of Indians, allowing them to actively engage and benefit from the new digital economy,” says Bose.

The team will be required to focus on helping businesses of all sizes to connect with their customers. There are about one million WhatsApp business products in India, according to WhatsApp.

“WhatsApp is deeply committed to India and we are excited to keep building products that help people connect and support India's fast-growing digital economy. As a successful entrepreneur himself, Abhijit knows what it takes to build meaningful partnerships that can serve businesses across India,” said Matt Idema, Chief Operating Officer of WhatsApp.